MANSFIELD, PA – West Chester scored six runs in the first three innings which proved to be enough as the visiting Golden Rams topped host Mansfield, 8-4, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division baseball contest at Shaute Field Friday.
West Chester (14-6, 4-3 PSAC East) halted a two-game losing streak in conference play with the win. Mansfield (5-12, 0-6) is still in search of its first conference triumph.
The first two batters in West Chester's order went a combined 6-for-11 while the other seven hitters combined to go 3-for-21.
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy), the second hitter in the order, went 3-for-6 with five RBI, including a double.
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored.
Mansfield made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with two outs. However,
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) came on and struck out Marcus Nales looking to earn his fourth save of the season.
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) improved to 5-0 on the year with the victory. He started and lasted seven innings, yielding four runs on 10 hits. He walked one and struck out one. Sperone's five wins on the year are second overall in the PSAC and the most in the conference without a loss.
Profy and Kaleck each singled to lead off the game in the top of the first. A flyout by
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) moved Profy over to third where
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) singled him home for the first run of the game.
With one out in the second,
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) walked and advanced to second on wild pitch. Profy followed with a double, but Miles had to hold up at third. Kaleck then grounded out to short, scoring Miles and moving Profy to third. Cantwell drew a walk and stole second. However, Mansfield's catcher threw the ball into center field, allowing Profy to score unearned.
In the third, West Chester loaded the bases with one out when
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) wound up on second following a two-base error by the Mounties' centerfielder.
David Alleva (Cherry Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace) walked, and
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) sacrificed DeMucci and Alleva to second and third.
Corey Stouffer (Souderton, Pa./North Penn) was then walked.
Miles was hit by a pitch, forcing home DeMucci, chasing Mansfield starter Austin Lewis (2-3). Kaleck greeted reliever Luke Payne with a two-run double to make it a 6-0 ballgame entering the bottom of the third.
Mansfield rallied with two runs in its half of the third and single tallies in the fourth and sixth to draw within a pair at 6-4.
West Chester responded with a two-out, two-run rally in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Miles hit an infield single, and Profy then doubled to left-center moving Miles to third. Kaleck's single to center plated Miles and Profy making it 8-4 in favor of the visitors.
West Chester and Mansfield will finish their conference series on Sunday with a doubleheader at Serpico Stadium beginning at 12 p.m.
